It took only a few days, but after arriving at Newcastle United and approaching diplomacy the same way a bull does china, the writing was on the wall for Paul Mitchell, just above the shattered porcelain.
He was shocked and disappointed when Mail Sport revealed his opening addresses to players and staff were not well received. Maybe he did intend well. And maybe, it was hoped back then, he would soften his abrasive manner in light of early feedback.
That, it is said, did not happen and his exit after less than a year as sporting director will not be mourned by the majority at St James’ Park.
Some very quickly suspected he wanted his own manager at the expense of Eddie Howe. Players spoke of Mauricio Pochettino, who Mitchell had worked with at Tottenham, being that man. Not that they welcomed the thought of losing Howe.
Rather, many inside the training ground were concerned about the content and delivery of Mitchell’s initial meetings and what it could mean for the future of Howe and the club. He walked into those introductions not with a blueprint, but sandpaper.
He spoke of being ‘elite’. Players and staff thought their work in taking the team from 19th to the Champions League already fitted that description. He spoke about playing style. They thought that was Howe’s domain.
The writing was on the wall for Paul Mitchell (left) days after his arrival at Newcastle United
His exit after less than a year as sporting director will not be mourned by the majority at St James’ Park
Players spoke of Mauricio Pochettino, who Mitchell worked with at Tottenham, being the man that the sporting director really wanted instead of Eddie Howe
He spoke about going on a journey with him. They thought the journey was well underway and he was joining them. He spoke about his work ethic, first in, last out. When a staff member later remarked, ‘Haven’t seen you in a while’, it didn’t go down well.
By then many had given up on having a relationship with Mitchell. Some felt he never knew their names. There was, it is said, a lot of ‘big man’ and ‘mate’. He probably could have got away with that, if his relationship with the one colleague who really mattered was better.
Mitchell and Howe did not get on. So much so, insiders feared the head coach could be forced to walk away after his work, and that of others, was picked apart by this brash outsider.
This was long before the sporting director went public with what he had been saying in private. He made no secret of his belief the club overpaid for Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento, two players who would win England caps before the season was out.
Instead of embracing Howe’s strengths, it was as if Mitchell felt intimidated by them, like the supply teacher who realises the smart kid could take the lesson.
It is claimed he would often use the phrase, ‘I don’t care who I upset’. He should have done. It showed a lack of self-awareness that would prove his undoing.
Never was that more apparent than in the Sir Bobby Robson Suite on September 4. There, during a 90-minute briefing with journalists, he said the club’s transfer strategy was ‘not fit for purpose’. He said it several times. As one source said: ‘It went down like the Titanic. Talk about aggravating the staff you’re supposed to be leading.’
Some of what he said that day made sense. He was right to say the club had to operate smarter when it came to recruitment in a world of profit and sustainability rules. In fact, some walked away believing him to be a visionary.
One image from the victory parade shows a beaming Howe waving to the crowd aboard the open-top bus. Next to him, Mitchell looks like he’s dropped a pound and found a penny
He spoke about staff going on a journey with him. They thought the journey was well underway and that he was joining them
We understand he made no secret of his belief that the club overpaid for Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento in 2023, two players who would win England caps before the season was out
It is claimed he would often use the phrase ‘I don’t care who I upset’. He should have done. It showed a lack of self-awareness that would prove his undoing
But tunnel vision was Mitchell’s problem. It was his way or the highway and he did not have the smarts to look in his rear-view mirror and realise the bumpy road travelled by others had been negotiated with skill, feeling and care. His words that day were careless. For almost a fortnight, he and Howe did not talk.
Belatedly, there was a peace-making effort by chief executive Darren Eales, who appointed Mitchell without Howe’s knowledge, having worked with him at Tottenham.
By this point, those close to Howe say he had resolved to win. Not to win the civil war that had needlessly been allowed to develop, but to concentrate on winning matches. On winning a trophy. On winning qualification to the Champions League. He did all of that.
There was whispered suspicion among some insiders that, during the early weeks of the season, defeats were strengthening Mitchell’s position. What does that say for club harmony?
As one source said: ‘The training-ground culture changed. Everyone was on eggshells. There did not need to be this friction. It was baffling what the club did by creating that.’ To think, Newcastle risked losing Howe by an act of self-sabotage.
Mitchell should never have been appointed. There was no due diligence, bar previous acquaintance. When the new transfer chief promised he would deliver the signing of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi and failed, he offered up alternatives akin to second-class stamps. ‘Bad players, good money,’ said one source.
In January, Mitchell did negotiate a couple of decent sales but, again, there were no incomings. Howe’s hand was weakened, but he and his players came back stronger. Between December 14 and April 16 there were 19 wins from 24 games, including the Carabao Cup final.
One image from the victory parade shows a beaming Howe waving to the crowd aboard an open-top bus. Next to him, Mitchell looks like he has dropped a pound and found a penny. Club sources say he has been considering his future for a while.
Mitchell and Howe did not get on. So much so, insiders feared the head coach could be forced to walk away
The new transfer chief promised he would deliver the signing of Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, but failed
If Mitchell learns one lesson from his brief time at Newcastle, it should be that a little humility can go a long way
When Howe then delivered on the £100million-plus transfer kitty that comes with the Champions League, perhaps it was only right he would oversee its investment. He has shown his approach to be fit for purpose, after all.
There was no real surprise when learning Mitchell was leaving this week — the club say it was a mutual decision — but there was surprise at the timing, on the eve of a transfer window. Then again, it is better to admit a mistake now than to go shopping for a kingsize when you are sleeping in separate rooms.
All of this is not to say Mitchell cannot be a very good sporting director elsewhere. He clearly has ideas and self-belief.
But if he learns one lesson from his time at Newcastle, it should be that a little humility can go a long way.
